Against the clock
by Butterflied1990
Summary: Jim and Melinda's free time is interrupted when a young ghost appears to Melinda hiding a terrifing truth she doesn't know just how much danger she is in. Will she be able to figure it out in time? Please Read/Review. Thanks x
1. Chapter 1 One stormy night

I had a random idea for another ghost whisperer story so I thought I'd start writing it and see how it goes. AU but still similar aspects to the show the first chapter is a little short but it's just a taster

Chapter 1 One stormy night

It was late evening and Melinda lay in bed next to her husband lost in thought. The constant billowing of the wind and the sound of the rain wrapping on the window had prevented her from closing her eyes. Jim on the other hand was having no trouble sleeping at all, the light sound of his snoring adding to the array of noises keeping Melinda awake. She had thought about giving him a light shove to wake him up, or at least stop him snoring but decided against it when she saw how peaceful he looked. Even if she was envious of his sleeping state she wouldn't want to disturb him from his complex dreams about beer and football.

Deciding that she had been laying down for too long the ghost whisperer stepped out of bed, careful not to disturb Jim she headed down the stairs to the living room, if she couldn't sleep she might as well spend her time doing something useful like clearing the dishes or doing the laundry, even if it was 4am. However when she got into the living room she felt strange, like she was been watched but not in the usual creepy way, it was like someone was watching, waiting for her to find them and help them, like they needed her more than ever.

"_Hello" _Melinda whispered so that she wouldn't wake Jim but could still communicate with any spirits in the area.

At first nothing happened then out of the corner of her eye Melinda saw the curtains moving erratically and instinctively made her way over to them. The windows weren't open and even if there was a draft the curtains definitely wouldn't be moving that much.

"_I know you're here."_ Mel said again as she reached the curtains staring at where she believed the spirit to be.

The curtains slowly returned to their usual still state and then a pale looking woman appeared before Melinda. The ghost had long dark hair and almost porcelain features, she was truly beautiful, her delicate brown eyes, not dissimilar to Mel's illuminating her other features but she looked so sad.

"_Who are you?"_ Melinda asked quietly.

"Melinda?" The ghost asked confused.

The sound of her name coming from the ghosts' lips sent chills down Mel's spine, Melinda hadn't told the ghost her name but something about this ghost gave her an uneasy feeling. She wasn't like all the others, she was paler, more transparent, it was as if the ghost wasn't really present but Melinda knew that she was and the resemblance they shared creeped her out even more.

"_How do you know my name?"_ Melinda asked confused and slightly scared.

"He knows you, he will come for you too, be car_eful_ _Melin_-" The ghost was cut off by something, her spirit seemed to be pulling away, like she was been dragged back somewhere, then she disappeared leaving Melinda staring at nothing but still, white curtains.

"_Wait, what are you talking about?"_ She called quietly but the ghost was gone.

She stared at the blank space where the ghost had previously been for a few moments longer. Eventually she turned to leave the room and almost fell back through the window when she was startled by a sleepy looking Jim standing behind her.

"God Jim you just scared the hell out of me." She said placing her hand of her chest to slow her breathing.

"I got that." Jim laughed and then pulled his wife into a tight hug.

"So what are you doing up at this time Mel?" He asked knowing that she would come up with some cute, coy answer.

"Oh you know I couldn't sleep with the noise coming from outside and from you."

"Hey." Jim replied pretending to be offended.

Melinda laughed a little and rested further onto Jim's chest as he loosened his hold on her.

"How come you're up anyway, you wake yourself up snoring?" Mel joked.

"No I heard you talking to someone and thought I better check it out." He replied sweetly.

Melinda went quiet and stared up into Jim's eyes, he could tell instantly that there was something off but he didn't want to ask, he knew that she would tell him if he gave her time.

"Jim." Mel said carefully.

"What is it honey?" He asked, still holding her gently in his arms.

"I don't think the ghost I saw was dead, there was something odd about her she was different to all the others." Melinda said simply.

"How so?" Jim asked again.

"She knew my name and I swear it was almost like looking in the mirror, her eyes Jim they were like mine but so empty and she knew my name, she knew who I was and she said he was coming for me too." Mel said sounding a little scared but also enthralled by the story that she was telling.

"Wait who is coming after you, I don't like the sound of that Melinda, and I don't like the idea that this 'undead' girl who just happens to have an uncanny resemblance to you knows your name." Jim replied in his usual protective and loving tone.

"Jim I don't know but it looks like I'm gonna have to find out." She said exasperatedly.

"In the morning though Mel, I can see that you're tired even if you did wake up, let's go back to bed I'll try my best not to snore." He said playfully.

She looked up at him once more, his boyish grin and crystal blue eyes a combination she couldn't resist stared back at her.

"Alright, alright but in the morning you are going to help me make some headway on this ghost business, I want to get this ghost out of the way so we can actually make the most of our time off." Mel said sweetly.

"Deal." Jim said lovingly then scooped Mel up into his arms.

"Jim put me down." She squealed as he carried her toward the staircase.

"You love it." He replied cheekily and then carried her up the stairs, kissing her lips lovingly almost all the way up.

He opened the bedroom door and then kicked it closed with his foot, whatever idea Melinda had about sleeping seemed to have just vanished from her mind as Jim traced soft kisses up and down her neck. Yes tonight had definitely been an eventful one and it looked like there was more to come in a much less scary and rather sexy manner.

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I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, let me know what you think and I will be happy to keep writing. x


	2. Chapter 2 Information shortage

Hey everyone, thank you for the fantastic responses on the first chapter, I can't believe so many of you reviewed but I'm really pleased! The story will start to become a little bit more clear here so enjoy :-)

Chapter 2 Information shortage

The next morning came and the young couple could be found in the kitchen discussing today's activities. Melinda didn't really have any idea how they were going to solve the ghostly mystery but she was happy to have the help of her husband this time.

"So where do we start?" Jim asked placing a bowl of cereal in front of his wife then taking a spoon full of his own.

"I don't really know I guess we could start by searching missing persons in the area or recent suspicious deaths but like I said I think she's still alive." Mel said sounding very intellectual.

"What makes you think she's been kidnapped or gone missing?" Jim asked still digging into his cereal, he ate so fast sometimes.

"I don't really know, it's just a hunch I'll know more when she appears again but she needs to _'die'_ first." Mel replied putting emphasis on the words die. She too then took a spoon full of cereal into her mouth.

Jim had already wolfed his food down and placed his empty bowl in the sink, he then walked over to his apparently stressed out wife and placed his arms around her.

"Don't worry honey we'll sort this out and no one is going to get anywhere near you." He said lovingly then placed a kiss on her cheek.

Mel smiled, she hoped that Jim was right but something told her that it wasn't going to be as simple as that, she never got away that easy, not when she had evasive ghosts to deal with.

Jim let go of Melinda and stretched out his arms. "I'm just going upstairs to change I won't be long." He said sweetly.

"Okay." Mel replied then resumed eating, she was almost done and was eager to finish so they could get on with their hunt. A hunt which could only be equated to that of finding a needle in a haystack.

Melinda finished her cereal and placed her bowl in the kitchen sink next to Jim's, the dull pain in her head that she had decided not to mention to Jim was slowly worsening.

She ran her hands through her tousled hair then made her way through to the living room where her laptop was waiting for her however when she got there something else was waiting too.

"Who are you?" Melinda asked quickly, the ghost was standing by the curtains again but this time she looked slightly clearer, she was slowly dying.

"My name is Kate but that isn't important I came here to warn you." Kate said never taking her eyes off Melinda.

"Warn me about what, you need to tell me what's going on." The ghost whisperer replied, her voice slightly more raised than she had intended.

"He never forgot about you Melinda and he wants you, nowhere is safe." The porcelain brunette said, her voice starting to fade now.

Melinda could tell she didn't have much time left now and was starting to panic, she needed more information, who was she talking about and why was she in danger?

"Who Kate, who has taken you?" Melinda asked desperately.

"No one took me, it's my husband, it's _K-_" The ghost was cut off before she had a chance to finish the name and Melinda was left swimming in a sea of emotions.

Jim came into the living room and saw his wife still standing there staring at the wall. He had heard her talking to someone earlier but decided it was better to stay out of the way, ghosts often scared easily and this time they couldn't afford for that to happen.

"Mel, honey are you okay?" Jim asked sweetly as he walked closer to her.

Melinda turned to face him with a puzzled look on her face.

"I'm not sure, I found out he name and I know that she wasn't taken." Mel replied matter of factly.

"Okay so what happened to her then?" Jim asked.

"Her husband, he did this to her and..." Mel hesitated a little, she didn't know how he was going to take the next bit of information.

"What Mel, what aren't you telling me?" Jim asked concerned.

"She said he nowhere is safe, that he is coming for me too." Mel replied both confused and worried about these words.

"Who?" Jim asked, his voice now elevated with anger and worry.

"She didn't get a chance to say but I know that his name begins with a K, she might just be confused Jim, I don't think we need to get worried yet but I just feel so bad for her. Her husband is keeping her prisoner." Mel said softly.

"I know honey, and I can only imagine how scared she must be but I don't think there is anything we can do. We don't have enough information to call the police, we only have a first name." Jim replied rationally.

Melinda let out a large sigh and leaned onto Jim's chest, she knew he was right but she just felt so helpless.

"Maybe I could put in her first name and the letter K, see if anything comes up, it's a long shot but I have to try something the next time she comes to me there might not be anything left to save." Mel stated simply, she had to try something.

"Okay honey if it will make you feel better, I'll make coffee." Jim said lovingly.

Melinda walked over to her laptop and started typing what she knew into Penthius, _Kate + K, Grandview_. Kate had never said she lived in Grandview but it was worth a shot.

She finished typing and hit the enter key to instigate the search, a few seconds and nothing, there were no relevant links on the screen. She sighed loudly and tried changing the Grandview to Driscoll County. Still nothing relevant appeared on the screen.

"Damn it." Mel said frustrated.

"Nothing come up?" Jim asked as he came into the living room and placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of Melinda.

"No, nothing the search is way too general, I need more information if I even want to start thinking about helping this girl." Mel replied exasperatedly.

"Any idea who this mysterious K is yet?" Jim asked as he came to sit beside his wife.

"No, I don't know if it's someone I knew or if she's just confused but she doesn't seem the type, she knew my name without even been told." Mel said deeply.

"Hmmm, you're right but there is nothing we can do at the moment, I know you want to help this girl but maybe we should take a break, go for a walk, enjoy the summer air then when she appears again get some more information." Jim replied rationally, he always knew how to solve any situation.

"Maybe but what of the next time I see her she is really dead?" Mel asked.

"That would suck but Mel you don't know enough to save her, maybe you aren't meant to?" Jim said lovingly.

Melinda nodded then ran her hands through her hair pulling it back from her forehead.

"Okay, well if we are going for a walk I need to get dressed." The frustrated ghost whisperer said.

"Well you could go out like that." Jim joked. Although Mel did look rather attractive in her black silk nighty it probably wasn't appropriate attire for a summer walk.

"Yeah I think I'll go and change if it's all the same to you." Mel replied sweetly.

"Alright if you must, I'll be here waiting." Jim called as she made her way up to the bedroom, leaning back once to roll her eyes at his sarcastic comments.

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Okay hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm pretty sure you can guess who K is, too bad Melinda hasn't!!! Please Review and keep reading!


	3. Chapter 3 Time is running out

Hey again it seems that I just can't stop writing this story and I am glad that you are all enjoying it, it has been such a great response. I will try my best to keep the updates frequent because, like you I can't wait to see what is going to happen next lol. Enjoy!

Chapter 3 Time is running out

Melinda and Jim didn't bother taking the car; the weather was beautiful, the glowing sun shone in the sky accompanied by a perfect, cool breeze that made the heat of the sun bearable. Melinda was wearing a white sundress than stopped just above her knees and her hair hung loosely passed her shoulders framing her face perfectly. Jim on the other hand had gone for the usual jeans and a t-shirt look, which under normal circumstance would have kept

Him cool, but today really was hot. They walked side by side, Melinda's arm wrapped around Jim's as they strolled toward Grandview.

"How long do you think it will take to walk into the town?" Mel asked as she looked around at the trees and birds looking beautiful as they swooped through the air.

"That depends on how fast we walk and if we get distracted on the way." Jim replied, he looked down at his wife and noticed that she was captivated by the birds and there flight patterns.

"What, sorry it's just so beautiful, and I was thinking about the ghost." Mel said quietly.

"Kate?" Jim asked sweetly.

"Yeah, the poor woman is stuck in some house, unconscious and prisoner to her husband while we're out here enjoying the sun and each other, how is that fair?" Melinda stated, she just didn't understand some people.

"It's not Mel but there isn't anything we can do, you know I would if I could don't you." Jim replied, he stopped walking and pulled Mel close to him as he said this.

Melinda nodded and looked up at Jim again, his blue eyes glistening in the sunlight.

"I love you Jim Clancy," She said tenderly.

"I love you too." Jim replied and took the opportunity to plant a soft kiss on Melinda's lips.

The couple then carried on walking, Jim steering them in the right direction as they moved together.

"Jim I think the town is that way." Mel stated as she noticed they were heading in the wrong direction, away from Grandview.

"I know, I thought we could go somewhere else since the weather is so nice, it's not I promise." Jim replied.

"Okay, and I won't even bother asking where we're going." Mel said smiling sweetly.

"Ah you finally get it, I told you that you'd learn to like surprises." Jim replied cheekily.

"Shut up." Mel joked then lightly tapped Jim on the chest as they carried on walking toward the mystery destination.

X x x x x X

Kate could feel herself slowly dying, she couldn't hold on any longer and she didn't know if she really wanted to. Her body ached everywhere, blood seeped from her wounded head and trickled down her face over the dried, red stain that was already there. She was going in and out of consciousness and all she could think about was Melinda.

If he could do this to his own wife then what would he do to her, it didn't bare thinking about, he had never forgotten about Melinda, he claimed that she was the only thing that he thought about, even when he looked into Kate's eyes.

That is how this had started, how she had ended up in this state. She had been married to her partner for 2 years now and at first, everything had been fine, he had literally swept her off her feet, he bought her flowers, took her out to dinner and was the kindest man she had ever met until about 6 months ago.

He started comparing Kate to some woman he used to know and no matter what she did, Kate could never match up to the illusive Melinda Gordon and she had gotten tired of it. They had an argument and bang. Here she was, lying on their living room floor waiting to be put out of her misery once and for all.

Kate could see him out the corner of her eye, he was coming closer and held something in his hand, something shiny and long.

"_W-what are you doing?" _She managed to choke out.

"I'm sorry Kate but I don't have a choice, it has to be this way." The dark haired man replied as he raised the metal object high above his head.

"_Kyle, please no."_ Kate pleaded, using the last of her energy to fight back tears.

Her pleas were ignored and in a matter of seconds she felt the cold metal contact her skull, there was a sickening crack and then nothing but darkness, she was definitely dead and now there was only one thing she needed to do, she needed to warm Melinda that he was coming for her and he was coming soon.

X x x x x X

Jim led his wife around the final corner and after 30 minutes of walking, they had arrived at one of the most beautiful places in Driscoll county, Melinda couldn't believe she had never seen it before. The small field was surrounded by tall, green trees. Flowers bloomed around the edges and the grass was well cut and vibrant. There was a stream nearby situated with an array of wooden benches, each engraved with unique and special words, some names of people who paid for the benches, and others words of wisdom. It was the perfect place to go on a bright and sunny afternoon.

"Jim this place is amazing, when did you find it?" Melinda asked, awestruck by the natural beauty of the place.

"A couple of weeks back we got a call, some kid was playing near the stream and fell in, I fell in love with the place instantly and made a mental note to take you here at some point. I guess we have just been too busy until now." Jim replied sweetly.

The young, loved up couple walked over to one of the benches by the stream and sat on it basking in the warmth of the sun. Melinda lay with her legs across the bench, her top half leant on Jim's chest comfortably. An elderly man was walking his dog in the nearby field and couldn't help but stare, Melinda smiled at him, and the elderly woman walking behind him that he was blissfully unaware of.

"His wife is following him." Mel said softly in Jim's ear as she gestured subtly in the man's direction.

"Really, do you think he knows?" Jim asked.

"I don't know, it's sweet thought that she's still with him." Mel added.

They sat on the bench for some time just enjoying the sun then they walked over to the edge of the stream, it was still so clear you could see the outline of small fish darting along the bottom of the water. Jim attempted to catch one of the fish but completely missed and almost fell in causing Melinda to let out a rather loud giggle.

Jim was just regaining composure when he noticed the expression on his wife's face change form joy to fear in a matter of seconds.

"Mel what's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"She's here Jim, and I think she's, I think she's dead." Mel said as she saw a bloodied Kate standing in front of her.

"_Melinda he's mad."_ Kate whispered, it was as if she was afraid he might be listening.

"Who killed you Kate?" Melinda asked empathetically.

"_I told you my husband and now he is coming for you." _Kate said eerily.

"Who is he and why does he want me?" Melinda asked desperately, Jim stood behind his wife with her arms protectively around her waist.

"_Don't you see it Melinda, he looks for you in everything he does, he never forgot about you." _Kate continued.

"Who Kate, who are you talking about?" Melinda said, her voice now loud and demanding.

"_Kyle, Kyle McCall." _Kate said and then disappeared.

Melinda couldn't believe it, the shock hit her like a cinder block to the chest and all the air seemed to be sucked out of her lungs. Melinda started to fall to the floor short of breath, tears fell from her eyes and down her cheeks all the while Jim held her in his embrace.

"Honey what is it?" He asked sounding very worried.

Melinda didn't answer she just lowered herself to the floor and gasped for air, this couldn't be happening, he couldn't come back, not now, not again.

"Alright Mel, everything is going to be okay you just need to breathe, breathe with me honey." Jim said softly, he held Melinda's hands and took slow, deep breaths with her until she was calm.

"You gonna tell me what's going on." He asked once she was safely in his arms.

Melinda looked up at her husband with a look he had never seen in her eyes before.

"He's back, and he's coming for me." She said coldly.

"Melinda what are you talking about?" Jim asked seriously.

"Kyle McCall." Mel replied.

That name was all that Jim needed to hear to understand. Mel had told him about Kyle and how he was controlling and abusive, he couldn't believe that anyone could even think about hurting his Mel and it sickened him. When she told him how Kyle had beaten her when she told him about the gift that was the last straw, Jim had threatened to go and kill him there and then and now he wished that he had done.

"Don't worry Mel I promise I won't let him hurt you again." Jim said as he lovingly cradled Mel in his arms and he meant those words more than anyone ever could.

It was just too bad that Kyle was already on his way to Grandview with one objective that was going to make Jim's promise that much harder to keep. The clock was ticking and time was running out.

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Ooo scary lol, did you guess right?? The next chapter will be up soon, please review if you feel like you have a minute.


	4. Chapter 4 With love

Hey guys sorry this one took longer than the other 3 to update, it was harder to write and I had an exam yesterday that I have been revising for, only 2 more to go now!! Hope you enjoy this chapter and keep submitting those amazing reviews, I really appreciate them.

Chapter 4 With love.....

The cop car pulled up outside the house and two rather tall and bulky men stepped out. Melinda and Jim had phone the police when they arrived home and due to Kyle's record, they had dispatched a car out to his address almost immediately.

The house was in perfect condition, the grass was freshly cut, windows were clear and it sported a freshly painted white picket fence. No one would have ever imagined the horrors that occurred inside the house, hell even the police were starting to doubt there presence here.

The first officer walked up to the front door and wrapped loudly on the wood.

"Hello, Mr McCall are you home?"

There was no reply so the officer banged on the door again, this time much louder than the first. If he was honest he really didn't want to be there but he had been given orders by the captain and so he didn't have a choice.

"Greg is anyone answering?" The second officer asked absentmindedly.

"No not yet, it doesn't look like anyone is in." Greg replied.

The officers waited a while and were just about to go back to the car when a nosey neighbour popped around the corner.

"Are you looking for Kyle?" She asked in a disgusted tone.

"Yes Madam do you know where we can find him, or his wife?" Greg asked politely.

The woman paused for a moment and then leaned in close to the officers like she was about to spill a huge secret.

"I saw him leaving early this morning, there was a lot of screaming last night, and the night before." She said quietly.

"What about his wife?" The second officer asked.

"I haven't seen her for days, she went in but didn't come out." The neighbour replied. She gave the officers a creepy smile and then carried on about her day like there was nothing strange going on at all.

With this piece of information the officers decided that they needed to get into the house so on the count of three Greg ran at the large, wooden door and tried to force it open with his shoulder. The door did move a little but of course, it was too strong door Greg to knock down causing the stocky police man to ricochet off it.

The neighbour from earlier reappeared from around the corner and stared at the two police men with an creepy smile.

"They always leave a spare key under the plant pot, just there." She said happily then gestured to the plant pot by Greg's left foot.

"Thanks." Greg said politely then the woman walked off again.

"What do you think's up with her?" The shorter but more attractive police officer asked.

"How should I know Rich, just pick up the plant pot so I can see if there is a key under it." Greg replied impatiently.

"Dude it's next to your foot, you pick it up." Rich replied, he wasn't taking orders from Greg, they were both equals in the force and Greg was an ass sometimes.

Greg just rolled his hazel eyes in disapproval, then bent down to pick up the plant pot and retrieve the key. He slowly placed the key in the lock and turned it and with a click the door was now open.

The two officers walked into the house taking in their surroundings, there had definitely been some kind of struggle as broken picture frames and pieces of furniture were scattered around the house randomly.

The two officers split up to look for either of the two residents hoping that they would find both of them alive but after the call and now the state of the house, the odds of Mrs McCall being found alive were not looking good.

"Greg, in here!" Rich shouted from the kitchen.

Greg ran through to where Rich was calling and was startled by the image in front of him. The young woman was laid on the floor, arms sprawled out at her side in a pool of her own blood. She had abrasions to the skull and was most definitely dead.

"Jesus." Was all Greg managed to say, in his 7 years on the force he hadn't seen anything like this.

"Shouldn't we call for backup and get the corner in, it's now a crime scene right coz I'm pretty sure this wasn't an accident." Rich said seriously with a hint of humour.

The officers called the relevant parties and before long the house was swarming with law enforcement officers, coroners and forensics collecting evidence now all they had to do was find the husband

X x x x x X

Melinda sat in the front room staring blankly at the wall, Kyle McCall was back just when things were going great for her.

"Here Mel I made you some tea." Jim said as he came into the room holding a steaming mug.

Mel turned around from her distracted state and took the mug from Jim, she shuffled along on the sofa that he could sit next to her too.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked knowing full well that her attention was focused on one thing only.

"D-do you think he's coming for me, do you think he's already here?" Mel asked, she was terrified of this guy and Jim didn't like it one bit.

"Honey he isn't coming anywhere near you, the police are looking for him and I'm not letting you out of my sight." Jim replied lovingly He pulled her closer to him so her head was resting on his chest, the sound of his heart beating soothing her immensely.

"I'm sorry I ruined our break." Mel said quietly.

"Honey you haven't ruined anything, besides we can still go somewhere, get the hell out of here if you want to." Jim answered tenderly.

"I love you so much." Mel said sweetly.

"And I love you too." Jim replied and then kissed her carefully.

The one small kiss turned into a few more small kisses, which led to some more rather passionate embraces and before long the pair were having a full on make out session on the couch. It would have probably led to much more had they not been disturbed by a loud knock on the door.

"Wh-at the hell, it's 2 in the morning." Jim said aloud as he tried to sit up with Mel on top of him.

"Who do you think it is?" Mel asked obviously worried it was Kyle.

"Honey I don't think he'd knock." Jim said as if he had read his wife's thoughts.

Mel smiled apprehensively then slid off of Jim so he could go and answer the door.

"Wait." She cried quietly.

"What?" Jim whisperer.

Mel passed Jim a baseball bat from the back of the cabinet and a huge smile grew across Jim's face.

"Be careful." She said and then hid behind a pillar in the living room whilst her husband went to answer the door.

Jim slowly walked over to the door clutching the baseball bat a lot harder than he intended. He reached for the handle and pulled the door open holding the bat high above is head but when he looked there was no one there.

In the distance he saw the outline of a car driving away and when he looked down he saw a single red rose with a note attached at his feet.

"Jim, Jim who is it?" Mel asked wondering why she couldn't hear voices.

"It's no body Mel don't worry. Must have just been the wind or something." Jim replied comfortingly, he didn't want to tell Mel about the note, not yet so he slipped it into his jeans pocket and kicked the rose away. He would read it later whilst she was sleeping.

"Jim are you okay?" Mel called when Jim didn't come back straight away.

"Yeah I'm fine honey." Jim replied as he came back into the living room and wrapped his arms lovingly and protectively around his wife.

"It's late you know, maybe we should get you up to bed." Jim suggested sweetly, Mel looked exhausted and he needed to read the note.

"I'm not tired." Mel replied then let out a huge yawn. It seemed that every time she denied feeling tired she would yawn and give herself away.

"Fine maybe I am but I wont be able to sleep knowing that Kyle is about." Mel said a little scared.

"Honey I will be here the whole time, I promise now you go up and I'll be right with you in a couple of minutes, I just need to lock up and make sure everything is turned off." Jim said sweetly, the note burning a hole in his pocket.

Melinda rolled her eyes and then reluctantly agreed to go up stairs and wait for Jim, she needed to change and brush her teeth anyway so she wouldn't miss him.

"Fine, you win, I'm going." She said sweetly then made her way upstairs leaving Jim to lock up.

The hunky paramedic locked up the house in record time and was now stood in the living room holding the piece of paper shakily in his hand. The name on the front was Melinda's and this part alone made Jim want to throttle Kyle, how dare he even think her name. Jim unfolded the note and began to read the tiny letters on the page.

_Melinda I never forgot about you. You were in everything I did and now I am here for you. You can't escape me no matter what you do. I am waiting for you and I won't leave until you are mine..... FOREVER....._

_Kyle McCall x_

Jim felt sick, who the hell did this guy think he was, he couldn't have Melinda, there was no way in hell that Jim was going to let that happen. He placed the note back in his pocket and made a note to take it to the police station in the morning, they needed evidence his wife was in danger and now they were going to get it.

Jim wandered into the bedroom and smiled when he saw Melinda sleeping peacefully in the bed she looked so beautiful. Jim took off his jeans and placed them safely on by his side of the bed so he could retrieve the note in the morning. He then pulled back the covers and slipped in bed next to Melinda placing his arms softly around her sleeping frame.

"_Jim_" She whispered sleepily.

"It's me honey, go back to sleep." Jim whispered back lovingly then kissed her on the forehead.

Mel turned her head back to the pillow and fell back into a blissful sleep with Jim not far behind. However tonight it was not Melinda's dreams that were plagued by horrific images, it was Jim's and he knew that he was going to have to do something before his dreams became a reality, which was out of his control.

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Sorry it took longer than usual but I hope you enjoyed it anyway and please review like you have been doing, I really appreciate it and you lot are great! I should be updating before the show soon too! xx


	5. Chapter 5 White lies

I am so, so sorry that it has taken me so long to update this story, I finished my exams then received Sims 3 as a gift and I have been addicted to it since it arrived meaning I didn't leave much time for my writing so now I hope to make up for it. I hope you enjoy this chapter and will continue to review.

Chapter 5 White lies

The next morning the couple were awoken by the dull ringing of the phone, Mel groaned loudly as she rubbed her eyes sleepily and Jim smiled at her sweetly.

"I'll get it honey." He said and placed a loving hand on her shoulder.

Mel nodded and allowed Jim to lean across her and grab the phone, grateful that she didn't have to form sentences so soon after she had been awoken.

"Hello." Jim said with a solid tone.

"Mr Clancy this is detective Webber I was just calling to let you know that we found Mrs McCall dead last night and her husband is missing." The detective said solemnly.

Jim didn't know how to react to this information, he already knew that Kate was dead and he felt bad for her and he also knew that Kyle was on the loose but he couldn't divulge the information over the phone without Mel finding out so he had to talk in some kind of code.

"Thanks for letting me know, I think I can help if you need me to come down to the station." Jim replied, he chose his words carefully knowing that Melinda would think he was speaking to someone at the firehouse.

"Do you have information on Mr. McCall's whereabouts Jim?" The detective asked, his tone rather pushy.

"I'm not sure but I might be able to help, I'll come down as soon as I get dressed." Jim replied.

The detective said his goodbye's then he hung up the phone.

"You got to go into work, I thought it was our time off together?" Mel asked sleepily.

"Yeah honey I know but I will be back before you know it, The boys just need my help finding something at the station and I think I saw it when I was last there." Jim lied, but he was only doing it to protect her.

"Okay I'll miss you." Mel replied.

He then leant over to return the phone and kissed Mel lovingly staring at his beautiful wife for a few moments.

Jim then pulled back the quilt and grabbed his jeans from the floor, he could see the note sticking out of the pocket slightly and his blood boiled as he remembered the words.

"Mel I'm gonna lock the door, don't let anyone in until I get back will you." Jim said as he pulled the jeans on and searched for a clean shirt.

"Why, you think Kyle is out there?" Mel asked fearful.

"No, no but it never hurt anyone to be cautious, do it for me." Jim said lovingly. He knew he was lying to her but that didn't matter as long as it kept her safe.

"Alright but only because I love you." Mel replied, she was starting to feel a lot less sleepy.

Jim soon left for the police station, locking the door behind him to keep his wife safe. He was a man on a mission and if it had anything to do with him Kyle McCall would be locked in a cell for the rest of his life before he got anywhere near Melinda.

X x x x X

Melinda stepped out of the king sized bed and opened the curtains to reveal the gleaming summer sun. The weather was beautiful at the moment and she started to think that she and Jim had picked the perfect week to have time off from their jobs. As she looked out into the blue sky she started to think about Kate and how awful it must have been for her, how she wouldn't get the chance to spend time in the sun with someone who actually cared about her.

These thoughts lasted some time until Melinda was startled by a presence next to her.

"Kate don't do that you scared me." Mel said as she noticed the spirit standing next to her staring at the same scene.

"Sorry, it's such a beautiful day isn't it?" Kate said plainly.

"Yeah it is but that's not why your here, I'm so sorry about Kyle." Melinda replied sympathetically to the woman, she felt so sorry for her.

"You know I used to hate you, I blamed you for the way Kyle treated me but now I see that it wasn't your fault, you moved on because of the way he treated you and I didn't." Kate said sadly.

"You didn't even get the chance." Melinda said. There was a few moments silence before one of the women spoke again.

"You know you should cross over." The ghost whisperer said as she looked at Kate empathetically.

"I can't, not until Kyle is caught and you and every other woman is safe from him." Kate replied then abruptly disappeared.

Mel sighed in the silence that Kate had left behind and then decided that she would shower and change whilst she waited for Jim to return. She hoped it would be soon so they could go and enjoy the weather.

X x x x X

Jim was waiting patiently at the police station hoping that Detective Webber would finish his meeting sooner rather than later, if he was gone too long Mel would start to suspect something. Soon though the detective came out of his office, it was as if he had read Jim's thoughts and immediately complied with them.

"Mr Clancy." Webber said and held out a hand to shake Jim's.

"Detective." Jim returned the gesture and shook the large man's hand.

Webber was an extremely tall man in his early 40s and he showed every one of his years, his eyes telling Jim that he was definitely experienced at his Job. Typical of a 40 something year old, Detective Webber sported a rather large beer belly but because of his height it seemed to suit him.

"So Jim you said you had some information on Mr McCall this morning when we spoke on the phone." Webber said in his gruff voice.

"Yeah that's right, he left my wife a note, she doesn't know about it yet because I didn't want her to worry but I thought you might need to see it. If my wife is in any kind of danger I need to know." Jim replied as he fished the note out of his inside pocket.

He had placed it in a clear, plastic food bag and kept it extremely safe.

"Did you touch it?" The detective asked as he took the bag from Jim.

"I did when it first came, it was left on the door step with a single red rose, I kicked the rose away and read the note but no one else has handled it." Jim replied wishing he hadn't have handled the letter, wishing that he had taken note of all those crime dramas and used gloves or something to pick it up with.

"Okay Mr Clancy, we will look into the note and take all necessary action to find Mr McCall but right now the best thing you can do is go home to your wife." The detective said then shook Jim's hand again.

The two men said bye and went their separate ways, Jim back home to Melinda and Webber to his office to get on with the pending investigation of Kyle McCall.

X x x x X

Jim returned home to find Mel sat in the living room browsing the internet on her laptop, she was so absorbed in her current activity that she didn't even here Jim come in.

"Hey honey." He said as he came up behind her.

Mel jumped and turned around immediately, hand on her chest.

"Gosh you scared me, I didn't even here you come in." Mel said as she stood from the sofa and wrapped her arms around Jim's neck allowing her to peck him softly on the lips.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you, what were you looking at?" Jim asked sweetly.

"Oh just some stuff, I was thinking we could go away for a few days, somewhere in the city." Mel suggested.

"Ah, you mean like my mum's house?" Jim said as he fished a set of keys out of his jacket pocket.

"You got the keys to your mum's house?" Mel exclaimed.

Jim nodded with a huge smile on his face, he had gotten the keys from his mum in the vain hope that Melinda would get some ghost free time and agree to go with him. Faith had agreed to go on holiday for a few days, just in case.

"Yeah I was hoping we would finally get a chance to go." Jim said sweetly.

Melinda then kissed Jim passionately and then excitedly went to prepare their things for the pending trip, both blissfully unaware that Kyle had plans, big plans to get Melinda back and sooner rather than later.


	6. Chapter 6 Day trip

I am so, so sorry that it has taken me ages to write a new chapter I'm rubbish!! First it started out as writers block, then I tried to write a new story to get inspiration but then I had to move house.... Anyway I hope you like this chapter and again I'm really sorry it took so long.

Chapter 6 Day trip

A few hours later Melinda came plodding down the stairs pulling a rather large hold all behind her, it was quite clearly heavy and it looked as though she had packed everything except the kitchen sink. Jim heard the banging of the bag from the kitchen and came running out into the hall however as soon as he saw her, his worried expression turned into a wide smile.

"Let me help you with that honey." He chuckled as he came half way up the stairs to where she was and took the bag from her hands.

Jim easily lifted it off the ground and carried it the rest of the way down the stairs and set it on the floor, Mel was walking just behind him.

"Thanks." She said sweetly and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Well if that's how we say thank you I might have to help out more often." Jim joked.

Melinda held onto Jim for a few moments longer breathing in his scent, she didn't want to let go but if they were ever going to get on the road she had too. Mel turned in to face her husband and looked up into his eyes with a mischievous glance.

"Oh no, what is it now." Jim said reading her like a book.

"There is another bag upstairs too." Mel said giving him the butter wouldn't melt look.

Jim rolled his eyes and pecked her quickly on the lips.

"I'll be right back, gonna check the locks upstairs, can you go and check all the doors and windows downstairs. I'll meet you at the front door in two minutes." He said sweetly.

As Jim went up the stairs to make sure all the windows were closed and locked Melinda did the same down the stairs. She quickly ran to the kitchen to make sure the side door was locked, checked all the windows in the living room were closed and then went to retrieve the smallest bag to take to the car. Mel knew that Jim had told her to wait inside but she was so excited and so decided that she would take the bag and load it into the trunk besides it would save Jim having to make two trips to the car.

As quietly as she could Mel opened the front door and headed out to the car, she unlocked the Jeep and popped the trunk open placing the bag neatly inside. She heard footsteps come up behind her and smiled sweetly.

"Jim did you get the bag?" She asked as she turned around.

Mel almost fell back into the car when she saw who was standing in front of her, it wasn't Jim but Kyle and he had a sickening grin across his face.

"Kyle I swear you better get the hell away from me." Melinda shouted hoping that Jim would hear her from the house. She should have waited inside like he had asked but she was stubborn and so had gone outside.

"Now let's not get irritable Melinda, although you do look good when you're angry." He said with an eerie smile.

Melinda started to shake a little, she wasn't sure if it was due to fear of sheer anger but it didn't matter. She took in a large breath of air and screamed at the top of her lungs. The scream was loud and carried through the air like leaves in the wind, reaching Jim's ears in no more than a few seconds.

As soon as Jim heard the distinctive sound of his wife's call he bolted from the bathroom and headed out the open front door where Kyle and Melinda were stood, the neighbours were beginning to gather and the scene was becoming quite the spectacle.

"Kyle what the hell are you doing here?" Jim cried as he launched himself toward the man in question. There were gasps from onlookers as Jim threw himself in Kyle's direction and knocked him to the floor. Mel yelped in surprise but she was glad that Jim had come to her rescue so quickly.

"Woah Jim there is no need to be so aggressive we were just having a nice talk, weren't we Melinda." Kyle said as he turned his shifty gaze in the Mel's direction.

"Kyle I think you should just leave." Mel said bitterly and then walked toward Jim who instantly wrapped his arms around her.

"Did he hurt you?" Jim asked concerned but still watching Kyle leave the premises.

Melinda shook her head and leant further into Jim's chest, her arms placed on his firm abs as he held her softly around the waist. The pair watched as Kyle got into his car and drove away with a smile upon his face the whole time. If Jim thought that he had gotten rid of Kyle so easily he was much mistaken. The neighbours soon got bored too and all left back to their houses muttering to each other about what they thought was going on, at least she would have been safe from kidnap.

Once the front lawn was clear Jim turned his attention to the tiny woman in his arms, his released her from his grasp and placed his arms lightly on her bending slightly to look her in the eye, her beautiful hazel eyes.

"Mel are you okay, I'm sorry about how I acted but the idea of him near you made me so angry." Jim said lovingly.

"I'm fine Jim and I'm glad that you were here for me but I still really want to go to the city." Mel replied sweetly batting her perfect eyelashes Jim's way.

Jim rolled his eyes unable to resist his wife's charm, she had him wrapped around her little finger and that was fine with him.

"Alright, I'll just go and grab the other bag from the hall and lock the door, go and sit in the Jeep and I'll be right there." Jim said, he wanted to make sure that she was still in his line of sight just in case Kyle had some funny idea.

"Okay I'm going but you owe me for this Mr. Clancy, you know I don't like being told what to do." Mel replied seductively.

"Oh don't worry Mel I am sure I can make it up to you somehow." Jim replied with a wink and then ran to retrieve the bag from the hall whilst Melinda hopped into the passenger side of her red Jeep.

True to his word Jim was back in a matter of minutes and easily hopped into the vehicle at Melinda's side. They had decided that Jim would be the designated driver as he had actually visited his mom's house before but Melinda was sure that his sense of direction would let him down, like he always said, he had never been very good with a compass. Mel didn't see any point in arguing with him about it though, she didn't mind spending extra time driving round in a car with her husband, eventually he would give in and allow Mel to ask for directions or point him in the right direction if need be.

"You ready to go then Mel?" Jim asked kissing her softly on the lips.

"Yeah let's get out of here, I need some time away from Grandview." Mel replied sweetly.

Jim smiled back and then fastened his seat belt gesturing for Melinda to do the same before they started on their journey. It wasn't far to the city so they would be there in plenty of time to do some shopping or something of that nature. Once the couple were all belted up Jim turned the keys in the ignition and shifted the car into gear ready for their short drive into the city.

The drive was pretty routine, Melinda made small talk, listened to the radio and sang along to the tracks, Jim joined in occasionally causing the pair to erupt into laughter. He hadn't been blessed with the voice of an angel in fact it was somewhere between drowning cat and nails on a chalk board but Mel loved him just the same.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the house, Jim carried both the bags up to the bedroom whilst Mel went to look around a little, she had never seen the house and was quite impressed by what she saw. It was of an average size, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a nice sized kitchen and a living room but it was pristinely decorated. The kitchen was modern looking with black and white decor, a glass dining table and every appliance known to man dotted around the room. The living room was also quite modern but had a homely feel to it also. There were two sofa's, both black leather arranged on a cream carpet. The television wasn't of a spectacular size but it was big enough and sat about 3 feet in front of one of the sofa's. There was a coal fire at the other end of the room and Mel decided that she would get it started.

X x x x X

Jim came down the stairs to find Mel sat by the flames staring into space, the light from the fire reflecting in her eyes so beautifully he almost didn't want to disturb the scene but he knew if they were ever going to get anything one he had to.

"Ehh hum." Jim cleared his throat to let Melinda know he was in the room.

"Jim I didn't see you there, the fire is lovely." Mel replied as Jim walked over to her.

"I know but we need to put it out, got to go shopping for food and stuff." Jim said dangling car keys in front of his wife.

"Can't we just eat later, it's only like 3." Mel added.

"Mel it's 5pm, by the time we get to the shops and buy the food it will be 6 then we have to cook the stuff and I wanted to do something special tonight, to make up for earlier." Jim replied, winking as his did so.

"Oh I see, I'll just get my jacket." Mel said sweetly then placed a soft kiss on her husband's lips.

Jim doused the flames of the fire and waited for his wife to join him in the car ready to drive off into the city and buy supplies, he wanted to put Kyle behind them for as long as possible and so the couple headed off about their business ready for a night full of laughter and love.

Sorry it was a bit uneventful and sorry it took ages to update..... More to come soon I hope and I am working on before the show too I just got major writers block!!!


	7. Chapter 7 Melinda, run!

Okay people I am very sorry it has taken me ages to update this story..... I've lost my muse but I watched some ghost whisperer re-runs and I managed to get some inspiration to continue this story, roll on the new season!!! I have also been writing a song there is a link too it here if you wanna tell me what you think it would be great :) .com/question/index;_ylt=_sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090729035852AAFlOMn

Chapter 7 Melinda, run

The young couple were sat in front of the fire, Melinda wrapped in Jim's arms enjoying the orange glow of the flames that flickered in all manner of directions. They had been caught in a surprise burst of rain whilst they were coming from the park and this was the best way Mel could think of to warm herself up.

"It's so cosy, maybe we should get a fire." Mel said as she looked up into Jim's adoring gaze.

"Mel we already have one, we just never use it." Jim replied sweetly as he pulled Melinda closer to his chest.

Melinda reached up and placed a soft kiss on Jim's lips and then smiled beautifully in his direction, she felt so happy right now it was amazing.

"Well then we should definitely start using it." She whispered lovingly into Jim's ear.

Before Mel had a chance to move away Jim pushed his lips close to hers and began to kiss her passionately, her hands tangled into his dark brown hair and she stared deeply into his ocean blue eyes knowing that she had found her one true love. The kiss would definitely have lead to something more had Jim not noticed Melinda tense up as she glanced toward the corner of the room.

"Mel...honey are you okay?" Jim asked concerned.

Melinda nodded her head then walked over to where the spirit was standing.

"Kate, I thought you'd crossed over, we called the police on Kyle they are looking for him now." Melinda said to the beautiful ghost.

"I can't cross over, not until you are safe and Kyle is taken away, they haven't found him yet but he is coming for you." She replied seriously.

"What do you mean, he doesn't know where I am Kate and Jim is with me, I'll be safe." Melinda said managing to hide her fear successfully.

Kate sighed and then flickered to the other side of Melinda.

"You don't get it, he won't give up Melinda, he has a gun and he will find you." With that she disappeared leaving Melinda to explain the situation to an expectant Jim. She had definitely killed the romance for tonight.

"What was that about honey?" Jim asked when Melinda returned to the fire.

"Kyle. The police haven't caught him yet and Kate seems to think he is going to find me again." Melinda sighed, she was scared but at the same time she felt so safe in Jim's arms.

"Okay, we'll call the police again, make sure they keep a look out in the area and I will be like your own personal body guard, I'll stick to you like glue." Jim replied and kissed her lovingly on the forehead.

"I love you." She whispered into his chest.

"I love you too honey, you know these spirits are such passion killers." He joked causing Melinda to look up and laugh at his bad joke.

"Jim you really know how to lighten the mood don't you, I have a crazy ex stalking me and you complain about the ghost interrupting a make out session." Mel laughed.

"Well you know stalkers are rare, ghosts interrupting us are not so rare I think I've earned the right to be a little ticked off with them." He replied continuing the joke.

"Shut up." She said playfully and then leaned to rest her head further into his chest once more. Jim circled his arms around her and the laid silently in front of the fire watching the flames again.

They sat like that for almost an hour when Jim noticed Melinda had fallen asleep in his arms. He loved to watch her sleep, she always looked so peaceful but he didn't do it often as it freaked her out when she caught him staring.

Jim carried his wife up to bed and placed her softly under the covers. He would join her soon once all the doors and windows were locked.

X x x x X

Kyle sat in his van moving the gun from one hand to the next. He had a perfect view into the house, he could see Jim moving about downstairs and he was just waiting for the right moment to strike. Should he wait until they were both sleeping to make his entrance or should he just shoot Jim through the window and take Melinda from her bed?

The thoughts whirled around in his mind, he was going to have to put his plan into action tonight, the police would be on his tail soon enough and he had to have Melinda, she needed him.

Kyle watched as Jim made his way to the bedroom and then he slowly stepped out of the truck knowing what he was going to do. He held the gun tightly in his hand and smiled to himself.

'Just one shot in the chest then he won't be able to stop me, I will have her and if she refuses I will shoot her too. I don't want to hurt her but she doesn't know what she wants and it will be easier to take her if she can't fight back.' Kyle thought to himself sickly.

He neared the front door and used the spare key to open it, he had been watching the couple all day and knew exactly where to find it. Kyle closed the door behind him almost silently and headed up the stairs, careful to avoid the stair that creaked.

Now the gun felt heavy in his hand. He was a little nervous but he could do this, he had fired a gun before and this was for the love of his life, he could do this. He reached the bedroom door and stopped to collect his thoughts.

X x x x X

"MELINDA, MELINDA WAKE UP!" Kate screamed as she saw Kyle outside the bedroom door but Melinda didn't even stir, she was going to have to be creative.

Kate used her energy to turn on the alarm clock and the couple woke up with a jolt, even Kyle was startled outside the room.

"HE'S HERE, HE'S IN THE HOUSE." Kate shouted now Melinda was awake and she had her attention now.

"What, oh my God, Jim he's in the house, he has a gun." Mel said making no effort to hide her words from the man outside the door.

As she spoke the worst Kyle ran through the door and pointed the gun in Jim's direction.

"NOO!" Melinda screamed as she saw what Kyle was about to do.

"MELINDA RUN, get the hell out of here now." He shouted desperately trying to get her attention.

Melinda ran toward Kyle and Jim chased after his wife before a loud bang filled the room.

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I am mean I know... Please review and I am sorry I took so long, I think I got my muse back, I read all the twilight books and now I'm feeling creative so it shouldn't be too long before I update. Thanks to all the loyal reader I have I love you!!!


	8. Chapter 8 Mine

Okay I know I left it on an evil cliff hanger last time and I'm sorry, I hope you all enjoy this one as much as the last. You didn't have to wait too long although I would have liked to have finished it a little quicker :)

Chapter 8: Mine

Kate screamed from the corner of the room at the sight that unfolded in front of her, the gun had gone off and now there was a small pool of blood forming on the floor.

"No, No this is all wrong!" Kyle screamed as he held the gun in his shaky hands.

"Kyle what the hell did you do, this is your fault put the damn gun down." Jim shouted as he held his wife carefully in his arms holding back the tears.

"No.. I, she's supposed to be mine n-not yours." Kyle said, his voice breaking with sadness as he realised what he had done.

Jim pulled out his cell and dialled 911, his hand shaking as he struggled to hold himself together, he should have been faster, he should have stopped Melinda from diving in the way, it was his fault.

"I need an ambulance now my wife has just been shot." Jim said quickly down the phone.

"_Okay sir don't panic, what is her condition?" _The operator asked calmly.

"She's losing a lot of blood, he pulse is weak and she is barely conscious." Jim replied trying not to convey his anger at her lack of urgency.

Jim hung up the phone after the woman told him the ambulance was on its way and returned his attention to a very pale Melinda.

The bullet had hit her lower abdomen but there was no exit wound meaning it was still lodged inside. From his limited medical knowledge Jim could tell that it had hit an artery from the amount of blood and he knew that he needed to slow down the bleeding soon.

"YOU, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU!" Kyle shouted, he hadn't left yet even thought the police would almost definitely be following the ambulance.

Jim pulled off his shirt and pressed it tightly on the wound to reduce the bleeding and then grabbed a blanket of the bed to keep her warm.

"It's okay honey, everything is going to be alright." Jim said softly into Melinda's ear. He was trying so badly to keep her conscious but she only responded with a light moan of pain.

"I will have her Jim, she better not die." Kyle said and then he ran out of the room as quickly as he had entered, no doubt on the run from the police.

"Melinda honey it's going to be okay, can you hear me sweetie?" Jim asked as he took her hand in his and held the shirt close to the wound with the other.

Melinda didn't answer, she could barely make out the outline of his face, her ears were ringing, black spots invaded her vision and then slowly everything faded into nothingness.

X x x x X

_Melinda had no idea where she was she couldn't make out anything, she couldn't even hear Jim's voice anymore._

"_Hello, is anybody there?" She asked timidly."_

"_Melinda, you need to go back, you can't leave Jim or something bad will happen." Kate said as she appeared from the grey._

"_W-what do you mean, where am I. Am I dead?" Melinda replied confused._

"_No you're not dead yet, you have just lost consciousness, this is like a dream but if you don't go back then you will die and Jim will kill Kyle." Kate said seriously._

_Melinda looked at Kate and began to cry softly, "No he can't he'll lose everything, he can't do that." _

"_Then you must go back to him, you will feel bad at first but everything will get better and they are going to catch Kyle, it's just a matter of time." Kate replied and then her face began to fade away as Melinda was brought back to reality._

X x x x X

At first everything was back but she could hear beeping around her and realised that she must just have her eyes closed. Her eyelids felt so heavy as she tried to open them but she was so happy that she was still alive.

Jim looked up and noticed the light flickers of Melinda's eyelids and began to speak softly to her. She had been in the hospital 2 days and hadn't woken up yet, he was so worried.

"Mel honey, are you awake, can you hear me?" He asked frantically as he stood up and leaned over her small frame.

Melinda still hadn't managed to open her eyes fully but she twitched her fingers slightly in Jim's hand to let him know that she could hear him.

"It's okay Mel I'm going to get your doctor I'll be right back." He said lovingly and then rushed out of the room to retrieve the man in question.

In the few minutes it took Jim to return to the room with a rather large man Melinda had her eyes fully open and was giving them a peculiar look.

"Hey you can see me, how do you feel?" Jim asked as he returned to her side.

"_Well I'm not dead._" She whispered still a little dazed from just waking up and the pain in her side burned but she tried to smile through it.

Jim smiled a half smile back at her but that wasn't the kind of joke he really enjoyed hearing, she wasn't dead but she had come god damn close, she lost so much blood and Kyle, he was going to shoot her again but he ran.

"No honey you're not and I am so glad, I thought I was going to lose you, you should let me be the hero next time." He replied lovingly and then stepped aside so the doctor could do some routine tests.

"Okay Ms Gordon how are you feeling this evening?" He asked in a professional tone.

"_I'm okay._" She replied timidly.

"Mmmmm." The doctor said as he began poking and prodding at Melinda's abdomen.

"Is there any tenderness here?" He asked as he pressed lightly around the wound. Of course Mel winced slightly, it was hurting before but that really did add insult to injury.

"_Ah, of course it hurts there._" She replied trying to sound bitter but not really managing it as she still sounded weak.

"Right well we will up your pain meds slightly and I want to run some tests, you look a little pale to me. I want to get some more fluids into you and something to eat but the surgery seems to have gone very well. You're lucky that the bullet missed all the major organs, one cm to either side and we probably wouldn't be having this conversation." The doctor said seriously as he jotted some things on her chart.

Jim thanked him for coming and then he left the room leaving Melinda and Jim alone again.

"Jim what did you mean about letting you be the hero?" She asked sweetly.

"Honey you took a bullet for me and I had to watch you do it, I love you so much and I just wish you would have let him shoot me so you wouldn't be in pain right now." He replied lovingly and kissed her forehead.

"I wasn't just going to let him shoot you, you would have done the same I know and you might not have been so lucky." Mel replied as she stared deeply into his eyes.

Jim couldn't help but smile as she flicked her eyelids innocently at him, how could he resist that face.

"You need to get some sleep now the police will want to talk to you in the morning, I spoke to them earlier whilst you were still out of it." Jim whispered into her ear.

"Why, I don't know anything?" Mel asked.

"They just want to know about your history with Kyle, don't worry honey just sleep." Jim said in a soothing tone.

"Will you lay with me?" She asked sweetly.

"Sure." Jim replied and Mel very carefully scooted over and winced a little when she moved at an awkward angle but soon there was enough room for Jim to slide into the bed, Melinda rested her head on top of his chest and soon she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

X x x x X

Thanks for reading, please keep those reviews coming :)


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